Krótka historia starożytnych cywilizacji (Short History of Ancient Civilizations) is a Polish big format board book on ancient civilizations with very few words. Each two-page spread is dedicated to a different classical culture: Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Celtic, Chinese, Maya as well as Minoan (and Mycenaean), Greek, and Roman. The book consists of a dozen spreads filled with many characters and objects, making Szelińska and Karpowicz’s Krótka historia starożytnych cywilizacji a collection of detailed panoramic images with very few words (a wimmelbook). Each spread presents elements particular to each ancient culture as well as of everyday life. For example, in the Rome section you can spot a baker, an aqueduct, and a road under construction process, often with captions accompanying all the pictures, e.g., “Caesar”, “Circus Maximus” or “Gladiators”.

This historical wimmelbook is a great ‘reading’ for children over the age of one. Readers may immerse into the classical world and slowly and effectively follow all the details depicted on each page. Also, on each spread’s margin, there are simple instructions to find certain elements in the picture.  Young readers can encounter historical and cultural phenomena of antiquity while they enjoy finding exciting elements in the illustrations and appreciate the aesthetics of Karpowicz’s style. -- Krzysztof Rybak